On the road to college football prominence, UH senior
Wade Koehl has pretty much seen it all. Known primarily for his blazing
speed and ferocious hits, Koehl can usually be found wreaking havoc on
opposing offenses at the outside linebacker position for the Cougars.

For Koehl, excelling on the gridiron has been something
he has had little trouble doing from the first day he donned shoulder pads.

"I grew up in Killeen, Texas, for the most part,
and we played a lot of football in the backyard. We did a lot of boxing
too," Koehl said. "The first time I played (in) pads was fourth grade.
They put me at fullback, and the first game I played in, the opening play
we ran a dive and I ran it 60 yards for a touchdown. The next time I got
the ball we ran a dive and I ran another 60 yards for a touchdown."

Daily Cougar file photo

Senior linebacker Wade Koehl has set
lofty goals for the coming season.
From that moment Koehl never missed a beat and pursued
football through high school, where he was a standout at Midland High.
The former Bulldog proved he was more than just a great athlete as a member
of the National Honor Society and by graduating 15th in his class.

"High school just wasn't about one thing. I don't
know if I could say there's one greatest achievement," Koehl said. "I enjoyed
playing with all the fellows on the football team … the greatest achievement
would probably have something to do with Christ. I'm a Christian and that's
first and foremost in my life, my purpose in life is to glorify God so
I try to do that through everything I do."

Koehl was a member of the Midland squad that reached
the Class 5A Division I state championship game in 2002. For Koehl and
the rest of his teammates, the experience was bittersweet as they suffered
a heartbreaking 33-32 loss to Converse Judson in the closing seconds of
regulation. It was a game that showed Koehl just how emotional football
could be.

"In that game everything went wrong in the first
half," Koehl said. "The only thing that went right was I picked up a fumble
and ran it back for a touchdown … we were in awe being in (the state championship).

"After the game some of the guys were sitting there
crying. I walked off the field -- I just couldn't handle it. I'm just
thankful I got to play again because if that was my last football memory
… that, I wouldn't enjoy."

Despite the loss, Koehl persevered and was recruited
by UH, where he earned playing time as a true freshman and received Conference
USA All-Freshman Team honors at the end of the 2003 season. In 2005, Koehl
garnered All-Conference USA Third Team honors as well.

Having accomplished so much to this point, Koehl
will be looking to put up big numbers in the coming season.

"I've got a lot of goals set out (this season), including
10 sacks, 10-plus tackles (a game), probably 15 to 20 tackles for loss,"
Koehl said. "I've gotten a touchdown and I've gotten interceptions but
I haven't taken an interception for a touchdown, so if I could do that
it would be pretty cool. Something I keep dreaming about is catching a
(Miami Hurricane) tight end or receiver over the middle and just taking
his head off."

These days, if Koehl isn't busy hitting the gym or
the books he can probably be found working on fast cars.

"I built a 1973 Plymouth Duster I got from my grandmother
when I turned 15," Koehl said. "It's got a 4-8 cubic inch small box Stroker
engine in it, a 727 (transmission), redid the interior paint, all that.
It's just something I enjoy doing, its not really in the family, I just
like to do it. I love to go fast and just take off fishtailing.

"I'm somewhat of a NASCAR fan but I'm more into the
dragster thing and I enjoy doing it more myself. We'd go out to a place
called Pinwheel. West Texas Raceway is full of interesting people; it's
a blast from the past, really. One time I fishtailed it at 100 mph, that
was pretty scary. I burned a set of tires all the way from full tread to
no tread … that was pretty cool."

Koehl will graduate in the fall with a degree in
finance. His plans include owning real estate, investments and being an
entrepreneur in the automotive and fitness industries.

Until then, look for the linebacker making use of
one of his many talents -- crushing any opposing offensive players who
get in his way.